Wave Propagation and Theory

• Apart from usual kinematics we often see

different types of motion and phenomena which
cannot be explained using the regular concept of
matter ( concept of mass)
• Energy, a vital part of our system, mostly doesn’t
follow the ordinary mathematical explanation of
motion and a complete set of different rules and
explanation is being formed to explain that
• A wave can be described as a disturbance that
travels through a medium from one location to
another location carrying energy or information
❑ In physics, mathematics, and related fields, a wave is a
disturbance (change from equilibrium) of one or
more fields such that the field values oscillate repeatedly about
a stable equilibrium (resting) value.
❑ If the relative amplitude of oscillation at different points in the
field remains constant, the wave is said to be a standing wave. If
the relative amplitude at different points in the field changes,
the wave is said to be a traveling wave. Waves can only exist in
fields when there is a force that tends to restore the field to
equilibrium.
❑ A wave is a physical phenomenon characterized by its frequency,
wavelength, and amplitude. In general, waves transfer energy
from one location to another, in which case they have a velocity.
 Wave propagation
▪ The source of any wave is usually a vibration or
oscillation
Example:
• A rope with one end fixed and other one being
moved up and down

• Dropping a pebble into pond

of still water producing
circular ripples moving
outwards
Ripple tank
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHXHkDPlfrk
&t=12s
• The ripple tank is used to generate water waves in
laboratory. It is useful in demonstrating wave properties
such as
• reflection and
• refraction.
Consists of a
➢ shallow tray of water with a transparent base,
➢ a light source directly above the tray and
➢ a white screen beneath the tray to capture the image of the
shadows formed when water waves spread across the tank
as shown above.
➢ Straight waves can be set up by using a straight dipper,
➢ Circular waves can be formed by using a spherical
dipper.
➢ Both dipper are vibrated up and down by a motor.
• The vibrating bar or the dipper pushes water
molecules up and down. Each molecules drag its
neighboring molecules up and down
 Classification
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Anh9HthW
gQ
Classification
 Transverse wave

❖The waves in which the particles of the medium vibrate

along a line perpendicular to the direction of
propagation of waves are called transverse waves.
Examples of transverse waves
Here is the list of some transverse waves examples:
• Light waves
• Radio waves
• Water waves
• Heat waves
 How Are Transverse waves produced?

• Consider a spring is lying on a smooth table. One end of the

spring is fixed while the other end is free which is held by
the hand. If the hand is suddenly moved up and down then
a wave pulse is produced

• The figure shows that displacement of the spring is

perpendicular to the direction of the waves travel, which
shows that these waves are transverse waves.
 Longitudinal wave

• The waves in which particles of the medium vibrate along the

propagation of waves, such waves are called longitudinal waves.
• Compressions and Rarefactions travel along with the spring. The
compressions are those parts where the slinky of spring are close
together. Rarefactions are regions where the slinky are spaced apart.
Compressions and rarefactions correspond to the crests and troughs of a
transverse wave.
Examples of longitudinal waves: Some common examples of Longitudinal
waves are:
• Sound waves
• Spring waves (Compression waves)
• A vibrating drumhead
How are longitudinal waves produced?
• If the end of the spring is moved back and forth. In this case,
displacement of the spring is in the direction of the waves travel,
these types of waves are called longitudinal waves.
Similarities between Longitudinal Wave And
Transverse Wave
• Both waves are mechanical waves
• Both transport energy without transporting
matter.
• Particles oscillate about their meaning position in
both waves.
 Terminologies
Crest and troughs :
➢ The high and low point characterizing transverse wave. They
are compression and rarefaction longitudinal wave
Amplitude : (a)
➢ Maximum displacement from the rest or central position in
either direction
Phase:
➢ Two points are said to be in phase if they are moving at same
direction with same speed and having same displacement from
the rest position
➢ Any two crest or two trough
Wavelength :
➢ Shortest distance between any two points in phase
➢ Distance between two consecutive crest or trough
➢ The covered distance for one single oscillation if the wave is at
constant speed
➢ λ==m
Frequency :
➢ Number of oscillation /complete wave per unit time.
➢ f==Hz===Hertz
Period :
➢ Amount of time required to complete one oscillation / cycle
➢ T== s
Wave speed:
➢ Amount of distance covered per unit time by a wave .
➢ V==m/s
Displacement of
particles,y

Displacement. y
• Distance covered in one cycle is λ
• To cover that λ distance( one cycle ) amount of
time required T
• Therefore speed
• f number of oscillation is completed in 1 second
• One oscillation is completed in s
• To complete one oscillation, required time
• v= λf
•
Time period T=0.05 s
Amplitude a= 0.01 m
Frequency, f =1/.05= 20 Hz
20 ms= .02 s
Wavelength
• v=1 m/s
2
• λ=2 cm= =
100
• 𝑣∝𝜆
1
• 𝑣∝
𝑇
• 𝑣 = 𝑓𝜆
• 𝑣 ∝ 𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑣 ∝ 𝜆
• Redraw the graph if the frequency is being
HALVED while the speed is constant
• 𝑣 = 𝑓𝜆
𝑣
• 𝜆=
𝑓
• λ ∝ 1/𝑓
• If the frequency doubles the wavelength will be
halved
• V= 1m/s
• λ= 2m
• VX1=fXλ
1=f λ/v
1/ λ=f/v
λ=v/f
f=v/ λ
 Reflection
❑ Reflection is the change in direction of a wavefront at an interface
between two different media so that the wavefront returns into the
medium from which it originated.
❑ Whenever a wave is bouncing back to its initial medium with similar
angular deviation as the incidence
❖ When a wave approaches a smooth polished surface(a reflector )
with an angular direction and bounces back towards the source
with same amount of angular deviation , it is called the reflection of
wave
❖ The incident wave ray which lands upon the surface is said to be
reflected off the surface. The ray that bounces back is called the
reflected ray. If a perpendicular were to be drawn on reflecting
surface, it would be called normal. The figure below shows the
reflection of an incident light beam on a plane mirror.
❖ Here, the angle of incidence and angle of reflection are with respect
to normal to the reflective surface.
Mirror reflection

Interface
 Properties of Mirror reflection
❖ The incident ray, the reflected ray
and the normal, at the point of
incidence, all lie in the same plane.
❖ The angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence. Hence
an image can be located by taking two
light rays from a point object and
retracing them after reflection.
❑ All images are virtual. That is, they
cannot be projected on to a screen.
❑ The image produced in a mirror is as
far behind the mirror as the object is
in front.
❑ The image is the same size as the object.
❑ A line joining a point on the image to a corresponding point
on the object is perpendicular to the mirror.
❑ The image is laterally inverted (sideways upside down).
 Laws of Reflection
❖The laws of reflection determine the reflection of
incident light rays on reflecting surfaces, like
mirrors, smooth metal surfaces, and clear water.
Let’s consider a plane mirror as shown in the
previous slide. The law of reflection states that
✓The incident ray, the reflected ray and the
normal all lie in the same plane
✓The angle of incidence = Angle of reflection
 Refraction
▪ In physics, refraction is the change in direction of a wave passing
from one medium to another or from a gradual change in the
medium.
▪ Refraction of light is the most commonly observed phenomenon,
but other waves such as sound waves and water waves also
experience refraction
▪ Refraction is the bending of a wave when it enters a medium where
its speed is different. The refraction of light when it passes from a
fast medium to a slow medium bends the light ray toward the
normal to the boundary between the two media. The amount of
bending depends on the indices of refraction of the two media and
is described quantitatively by Snell's Law.
 Examples
• The bottom of swimming pool appears higher
• A pencil partially immersed into water seems to
be bend in the interface of water and air
Causes
• The cause of refraction of light is that light travels
with different speeds in different media. This Change
in the speed of light when it moves from one medium
to another causes it to bend.
Rules/ characteristics'/ properties
I. The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal
at the point of entry are all in the same plane.
II. The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the
sine of the angle of refraction is a constant for a
particular wavelength (Snell's Law)
Lighter to denser
▪ When light refracts from one
medium to another, one of the
medium is termed as rarer/lighter
and other is termed as denser.
Hence rarer and denser medium
is a relative term. The medium in
which speed of light is more is
termed as a rarer medium and
the medium in which the speed
of light is less is termed as a
denser medium.
▪ When light refracts from rarer to denser medium it bends
towards the normal as shown in the figure above.
• Denser to
Lighter

r>i

i
• n=sini/sinr==sin10/sin15=0.67
• 0.67=sin15/sinx
 Refracting index
• Measure of how much light slows down when it
passes through a new medium
• Symbol =n
 Snell’s Law
• Related to the size of angle of refraction to the
angle of incidence
•
➢For the given n , that particular medium is
supposed to be the refractive medium
➢For Water,

➢For diamond, 8
Vd=1.23X10 m/s
➢ For Plexiglass, Vp=1.98X10 m/s
8
➢i>r===➔second medium is denser
➢ 1.63

➢ 0.61
 Total internal reflection

i< ic i= ic i>ic
In critical state
✓i=ic and r=900

✓
390

[4]
i